Indicator.



F. H. HARRINGTON &

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 26,1917

S. E. BUCK.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

mvewtow 1 7. 0%? [229K022 FRED H. HARRINGTON AND STEPHEN EDW'ARD BUCK, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

' INDICATOR.

To (1 1 whom 2'1 may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED H. HARRING- rox and STI'ZPIHIN E. BUCK, citizens of the United States, residing at Moline, in the countv of Rock island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in indicators; and we do declarithe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This: invention relates generally to indirulers and more particularly to devices for indicating the amount of liquid or other fluid contained in a tank or receptacle.

h primary object of the invention is to P ide a devi e of this character wherein the indicator proper may be disposed at any distance from the tank or receptacle contaiuin; the liquid or fluid to be measured.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated indicator including a substantially constant potential source of current, an annncter, a plurality of resistance units, and a plurality of switch members for controlling the resistance units and operated successively by the static pressure of a liquid contained in a receptacle or by other pressure naa'liuiu; the amineter being designed to register the amount of current which is governed by the resistance of the c cuit as controlled by the pressure of the liquid.

it further object of the invention is to gene-call improve upon devices of this class by the provision of a comparatively simple, strong. durable and inexpensive construction, one which will be cliicieut and reliable in opera'ion, and \velladapted to the purpose or which it is designed.

h these and numerous other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawn 7 forming a part of the application, and in which similar reference characters are used to designate like parts throughout the several views e l is a diaorannnatical illustration 'ieator;

is a detail longitudinal section throi' H one of the spring tubes.

' rinn' more particularly to the drawme referenc numeral 1 designates a fipeomcatioa of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 26, 1917.

the number o,t' contacts thus made.

Patented Nov 19, 1918. Serial No. 182,997.

hollow trunk member or closed pressure chamber which preferably partakes of the nature of a cvlindrical tube having, a pet cock 2 at one end thereof, being connected at its other end to a pipe cates with a fluid receptacle, here shown in the form of a water tank l.

he opposite sides of the trunk member or tube 1 are provided with openings, and secured to the same in any suitable manner is a plurality of closed spring tubes 5, commonly known as Bout-don tubes. The free ends of these tubes 5 are closed and carry adjustablv mounted electric contact elements in the form of set screws (5, which engage relatively fixed but adjustable contact oi;-

mcnts or set screws 7 and these tubes are in open conmiunicathm with the tube 1 through the mcdiinn of the said openings.

Allof the parts above mentioned may be suitably secured upon a base and arranged in a casing in which is als mounted a-plurality of resistance units 8 which are connected in series and have electric connection, b v means of conductors 9, with the setscrcws 7, respectively; and any appropriate number of these resistance units may be ineluded in the electric circuit, according to the amount of variation of water pressure at the bottom of the tank 4.

The circuit includes a batter} 10 having a substantially constant potentiah an am meter 11 a conductor 13 eonnecti; 1 one terurinal ot' the auuueter it with one of the ter minal resistance units 5, a conductor 13 connecting the other terminal. oil'- the ammeter with one terminal of the battery, a conductor 1%. leading from the other ter minal of the battery to a ground connection, and a conductor 15 running from the tube 1 to a ground COliliEtl'iiUH.

'lhe set screws 6 and T are set sothat the contacts of one of said ricsare in such relation to the contacts oi the liner 1; that each eompiemental pair of contacts ti and 7 requires a diii'crcnt. pr are, to ch c its circuit, t'r the. pre. required close the circuit ot each of al er coin pairs; and therefore, as the Plt water increases and wid hs the the tubes 5 so that tin contact successivel wit: set screws 7. and hence, h: e circuit will be decreased in isaincc in the proportion to changes the reading of the obviously am- 3 whiclrcoinniuni' This j Riel uzrzinil 1iie tzaiie pressure of ti e wziicr in the tulic l in he lei 1'iuinei'l l i'he \ZllllilH :unureier reuihuga )5 ihe ruriul'ion oi ililr. stutic pressure is in ifliri'ei proportion in iihe (lepih of water in the iziuiz 2*, it is possible to so :iecuruiclr i'uljiui 'c the screws or contacts 6 unrl '3 i'hul; the depth oi Water in the iunl: may he 11couretely registered on the :muneter or regi 'l'ering (lGv Considering ihe sci of eoni'zu-i's i3 uliore the. tube 1 us'heing lOiiaPlenHiilzil lo the set of cou'iucis 7 ehore lhe iulie 1. it is Seen iliui this (lerice/coni 'nkises i'u'o compleinentul sets of coniuci elenienh ul'iore the tube 1: 21ml the 5113119 i true regarding the se'tu oi coniuci's 8 {mil 7 HlOW i'lie luhe 1.

Assuming thutthe (uni; i= full. the pre sure in the tube l holding all ihe contncts 6 against the conl'ucie T. uurl lhe aggregate of the comluclore fl is efieclire to eonluc;l; the current to the conductors ll uni'l 13 nnrl the Zi'()lll1(l conueeiions: but when the Water lerel is lmrereii. (he preu ure in the. pipe 1 reduced accordingly, and this re (lueiion of presoure llows the wring notion of one of the lube-s 5 io hrenl: the connection ilGi-WOOD he correspomliughone of the conliucts S and its coni'iguom eomplemeniul eonliict- T. This reduces the eli'eciire aggro geie of (FOSS section o"? the conducting wires 9 and efi'eeie a corresponding chingz e in the reading" of the emnieicr ll. The other complcnienlul pairs of eonlucls unil 7 remain in eloserl circuit unlil u further lmreriug oi the \Yul'er level eileels :i i'url'her lessening oi pressure in 'the iuhe L whereupon :mollier eoniplenzeniul pair of roni'zirls ii uuil T lli'llili their crmnection; mul so on. :icwmling in the predelii i'inined selling of ihe eet screws or coniecis 3 and 'i" From the foregiing description luken in ci'iunection with The accompanying (llllW- ings (he construction. u. uml operulion of the (lcriee will he reuilil x imilersiooil without n more exienrieil explanation.

ills numerous changes in fornn proporlilOIL, and in i'he minor details oi construction, may be resorieil in WiiliOlli' departing from the spirit of ll inreniioin ii: is lo he unclcrstoocl tiui we do not nieh to he liinil'eil to the preeise eonsirucliou herein siering Llerice, on

in eornbimiiion, i erelity of Eourdon "ric reuis' zunoc elerie conductors and ,f ron tucls elemen ts said i eleciiicml i conto one 1,285iau oi filllkl contact elements lhrougli \lie me limu oi one oi wi l ('flllllll 'i l'fi, suiil PJUlllllUll iu e lacing in open commuuicntion \virh ui l pressure eloimlier and each ciiriu'iug u coniuet element oi" one of 2llll Wis. the noriuul iiiu'ung'emeni, of (he eonlurl elements h ing such ihzu (hey uccesv irelr close cireuil Willi the reepeii-tivc resis'iunce elei'neuls in accorduuce with the ruriuiion of pressure in mid pressure tube.

"2 in u device for registering the height of water in u tank. on electric circuit con prising in eomliinutiou :1 horizontal closed Hl lllul niemher mean; for conrluclhig \ruier io said luluilur member from the tunic. :1 plurality oi" lli'mrilon tubes in open coinlillll'llCflllOIl uith suirl iuhulzir member, an mmnei'era plurality oi resistance elements electrically connected to said unnnel'er. coniplemeni'al Sets of eleoiric conluct :iml eleeiric. conductors ezu'h eonuecling one of suiil resisiunce elements with :1 contact of one oi. said sets, each contact of the other set heing carried by one of said Bourrlon tuhes uiul ino alole thereby into closed circuit with ii e corresponding contacts.

3. in u pressure registering device, an electric circuit comprising in combination, :1 horizontally disposed tubular member. menus whereby liuiil pressure is vuriuhlv upplicil n'irhin mid tubular member. fl series of pressure-uciuuie l elements in open eonnnunicniion with said tubular nien'iher through iis horizontul null. 21 SPllOS oi eontueiururrieil i'espeClZiYely lay suiil preusureuciuuteil elements, a series of contacts each of which is eoniplemenlul lo one of the comm-is of ihe first suiil series. electric omhic'iore connected respectively to the ei'inizu'is oi ihe seco'uil Hillll series of contucle uml zulupieil he electrically eonneclecl i0 uiil iuhulur ineinher. u source or electric energy. on ummeleu uml electric eonililcioru connecting the first will coniliiei'ors with said :inuneler niul suirl luhulur menilie uml said Source of electric energr. ihe conlncts oi one of Rillkl series being norimilly adjusted in such reluiion to the eoni'uels of ihe eilier suicl series that cuch' compieineniul pair requires u i'lil'l'ereut pressure in elose its circuit rom the pressure re- ;uire'ii to close ihe circuit of each of the ier cour ileuieniul pairs.

In testimony whereof We have hereuuio Sr'iour lizmiils in the presence of two subing iriiu i HARRINGTON. 

